Thakoon Panichgul is a Thai-American designer who became an overnight success with the debut of his namesake collection in 2004. Panichgul started his career as a fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar, covering runway designers, chasing style news, and developing fashion stories. He decided to try his hand at design, leading him to enroll at Parsons School of Design to learn the craft before launching his brand. Panichgul’s practical approach to designer ready-to-wear centered on designs that are, at once, beautiful and easy to wear. Quickly championed by both the press and those in the public eye, he appeared in countless spreads of major magazines, starred in “The September Issue” documentary, and became the go-to designer for many celebrities — including Michelle Obama who wore one of his designs during the 2008 Democratic Nomination. As fashion became increasingly popular and designs accessible to many, Panichgul realized that loud and flashy fashion noises were drowning out good, simple, and affordable designs. In September 2019, he relaunched his line as a direct-to-consumer brand of luxury essentials. Panichgul is a recipient of the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund and has been nominated by the CFDA for the Swarovski Award for Best Emerging Womenswear Designer.
